The invention relates to an arc spray process for making foil and metal matrix composites and more particularly to a method of improving the mandrels utilized therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,625 describes arc metal spraying used to spray liquid metal onto an array of high strength fibers that have been previously wound onto a large drum or mandrel contained inside a controlled atmosphere chamber. This chamber is first evacuated to remove gaseous contaminants and then back filled with a neutral gas up to atmospheric pressure. This process is used to produce a large size metal matrix composite monotape.